Why do you study?

shotochem · Pre-Black Belt

I started karate a couple of years ago when my son 6 at that time was taking class. I did not have the nerve to try it. I was overweight and out of shape and feeling older than I was. With a little bit of encouragement from the sensei and a couple of the adults I gave it a try. Two years later my son switched to another style and Im still training Ive lost 50lbs and feel 10 years younger. I have learned what you think may be impossible can be accomplished with a lot of hard work.

If someone like me can do it so can everone else too......

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Pain is only temporary, the memory of that pain lasts a lifetime.

Phantasmatic · Purple Belt

I like to train for the enjoyment of the martial arts and for excercise.

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"Which one is more foolish, the fool or the fool who follows him?" - Obi Wan Kenobi

OxygenAsh · Yellow Belt

Bruce Lee movies got me excited about ma, but I didn't have courage to go to a school with unfamiliar ppl to fight 'em.
Then at 13, my father (who was a boxing champion in the Baltic fleet of Soviet Army years ago) made me take boxing classes.
4 years later I was a pretty decent boxer, despite low weight, but I was always very afraid to fight (not because of pain, but because I could lose in front of others).
I took a 3-year-long break from ma when I moved away from my family at the age of 17.
Then one day, I was driving by a karate school and decided, "why not?"
From then on, I've done a year of karate, 2 years of capoeira and now I finally found my favorite style - wing chun.
Never again in my life I'll be afraid of fighting.

AnonymousOne · Red Belt

I began boxing at age 7. My brother was a successful school boy boxing champion and got me involved.

Where we trained there was also in another part of the building a Jujitsu School. I was fascinated by it. I watched many times but never got involved.

At age 17 our Karate school set up a dojo in our suburb. I went and watched and was deeply impressed. This was around 1975. The training was brutal and extremely hard. Being an asthmatic I found it very hard. But in time my body got stronger and I handled the training well.

For me I started training purely for the ability to fight. I also thought it would be cool if everyone knew I was a Black Belt in Karate.

27 years later I train for very different reasons. Today I train to keep purpassing my levels of fitness, speed, strength, power and so on.

I simply train to see how good I can get and to apply creative ideas to my training schedule. Self defense naturally comes with training but its not a goal at all anymore. I sorted out my ability to defend myself many years ago.

I have a written training schedule and my goal is to constantly add and refine to it.

My quest is perfection of what I can personally do.

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Karate begins and ends with courtesy

[ This Message was edited by: AnonymousOne on 2002-02-27 21:35 ]

Karateka · Red Belt

I started my training in a school because I wanted to learn discipline. My first instructor never taught me that. I learned all the moves with speed and power, but I had no control. After I quit, something happened that made me just lose it. My grandfather died. After that, I didn't feel any different, but I acted different. I was agressive, pushy, and even physical. I started this new Karate class to get back into things. I went for my first lesson and kicked the crap out of everyone. I didn't know it was non-contact. The Sensei called me up to fight with him. The first thing I said to him was "bring it on!" He then proceeded to kick my * all over the entire dojo and make an example of me. I put up a good fight, but in the end I had a black eye, split lip, bruised ribs and kidneys that hurt like hell.

I haven't left him since.

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"Never hit a man while he's down; kick him, its easier"

Sensei Ron Bagley (My Sensei)

TKD_McGee · Purple Belt

All the rejects with money go into martial arts... In japan its a way of life. No wonder we get our butts kicked in any competitions.

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Do unto others, as they done to you.

spinninggumby · Purple Belt

Rejects with money?? I resent that!

I am a broke college student who lives off Top Ramen and Oreos

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'Conviction is a luxury for those on the sidelines'

William Parcher, 'A BEAUTIFUL MIND'

TKD_McGee · Purple Belt

By Rejects I mean, overweight, picked on, forced into it by parents... I mean the US team could be really good if they had people that were into it and were fierce competitors. Kind of like the people who play in the NFL and NBA.

I started to do martial arts because I was watching a movie called Blood Sport.. they were playing a cheesy early 80s video game in hong kong, the graphics amazed me so I decided to fight like the pros.

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Do unto others, as they done to you.

Joecooke007 · Brown Belt

I started for many reason. I have always wanted to be like these guys on a show called Masters! They were taking like 30 guys at a time. It was all fake but I didn't have to know that. It amazed me. My great grandfather was a black belt in Iado, Kendo, and in Judo. My whole family looks up to him as like a god or something so, naturally I wanted to be like him. I have been practicing Goju Ryu since the start and I intend to follow through while I cross train with other arts. Karate has shown me a knew way of life.

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Boards don't hit back.
-Bruce Lee

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